


him

by beautifuloblivion



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Artificial Intelligence, Human/AI Romance, M/M, Rated for swearing and nsfw mentions, it's exactly what you think it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-07
Updated: 2014-02-07
Packaged: 2018-01-07 19:45:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1123684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifuloblivion/pseuds/beautifuloblivion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Siri 2.0 is a highly advanced AI program that can serve as your personal secretary. It organizes appointments, functions as a GPS, and can hold full conversations with anyone it talks to. You have the ability to assign your Siri a gender and nationality, but its name will be randomly selected from a pool of whatever nationality you have selected. Siri identifies you by your name and the sound of your voice. Over time, Siri will develop its own personality based on what is most compatible with your own."</p><p>At first, Gavin isn't sure what to think of the little bad-tempered AI, but soon he comes to realize that Michael is more than just a program.</p><p>But AIs don't have emotions. They don't have feelings. They aren't human. Gavin can only pray that he'll be able to change this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, this is inspired by the movie her. Go watch the trailer if you haven't, I've cried watching that thing at least four times.
> 
> Since it's not out yet, I haven't seen the thing and I don't plan to until I finish this story--So when it comes out, PLEASE try to avoid posting spoilers in the comments (or anywhere else really, spoilers are not fun).
> 
> haha yeah you can follow me on tumblr at friendenemepanion.tumblr.com. i mean, if you want. It would make me v happy (:
> 
> Tiny tiny content warning for a gendered slur, but it's not too bad.

Honestly, Gavin Free hated his life.   
  
He was thirty-two, stuck in a job that he use to love but slowly came to loathe, and every night he came home to an empty flat. And an internet connection.   
  
Oh, how that internet connection had saved his life. Because on the nights when he'd taken too many shots and the screen was blurry before his eyes, when he kept shooting longing looks at the knife block sat on his kitchen counter, when nothing he'd ever done seemed to matter much to anyone, the internet was there.   
  
As pathetic as it sounded, the only people Gavin cared about were _there_ , contained within millions of tiny pixels. Anyone he'd ever called "best friend" lived thousands of miles away. They helped, most of the time.   
  
But in the middle of a giggle, he'd stop. The smile would fade and he'd remember he'd never be able to meet any of them. They had their own friends, ones they could see, touch, _feel_. Gavin had no place in that life.   
  
So he distanced himself. He stopped talking to anyone, internet or otherwise, because he could never be the best thing in _anyone's_  life. Selfish or not, he wanted to be important to someone. He wanted to be more than a burden. Was that so wrong?  
  
Life went on. Gavin no longer had those fleeting moments of sadness, but no longer did he have a moment of happiness either. He was just empty. He went about his day like the whole thing was a chore, just a task to be completed.   
  
And then he saw it. An ordinary commercial on an ordinary day, but the results couldn't have been any more extraordinary.   
  
"Forgetful? Unorganized?" the commercial demanded. Gavin snorted from his place on the couch, because he was both of those things, thank you very much, but he didn't need some stupid wallet with a hundred pouches to help him. His finger hovered over the channel button, but for some reason he kept watching. Curiosity, laziness, he'd never know. That small decision changed everything.   
  
The speakers on his TV slowly faded down until the commercial played a soft piano. There was a man on the screen, sitting at home, much like Gavin was at that very moment. He looked down at his phone, smiled at it, began to talk to it. And the phone talked back.   
  
Not like that ridiculous Siri bullshit that hadn't changed in ten years. The voice coming from his TV was _nothing_  like that. Her voice was more human than anything he'd ever heard.   
  
"The all new Siri 2.0," the narrator continued, white letters appearing over the man's smiling face. "Only available on the iPhone 10S."  
  
That was it. A quick flash of the Apple logo, then whatever shitty program Gavin had been watching before continued on like nothing had happened. To any normal person, nothing _had_  happened. Gavin, however, saw a way out. Something that could help him.   
  
A quick glance down at his phone reminded Gavin that he did _not_ , in fact, possess the iPhone 10S. He had the 5S, a phone that stopped production over six years ago. Bought when he was twenty-five, it was the last time Gavin had found a reason to keep up with technology. The stupid things were upgraded every year, so why buy a new one?  
  
It was 1:30 in the morning. Gavin seriously doubted that any stores selling a 10S would be open. But in just a few hours, it would be Sunday to the business world, and Gavin Free was buying himself a new phone.   
  


* * *

Entirely too much frustration and three hundred fucking pounds later, Gavin held his new phone in his hands. Siri 2.0 could organize his calendar, find restaurants nearby, and, hopefully, be there for him to talk to.   
  
Spread out on the table before him was the contents of the admittedly-stylish box, the instruction manual flipped open to Siri's page. The first couple lines were a general summary/warning for the device:  
  
 _Siri 2.0 is a highly advanced AI program that can serve as your personal secretary. It organizes appointments, functions as a GPS, and can hold full conversations with anyone it talks to. You have the ability to assign your Siri a gender and nationality, but its name will be randomly selected from a pool of whatever nationality you have selected. Siri identifies you by your name and the sound of your voice. Over time, Siri will develop its own personality based on what is most compatible with your own._  
  
And then, in much smaller text:  
  
 _ **WARNING** : In no way should Siri replace healthy human contact. Some users may experience attachment issues—_  
  
Gavin ignored that part.   
  
The iPhone itself had barely changed since the 5 came out; aside from a few minor adjustments to camera placement, button design, and durability, it looked almost exactly the same as the 5S resting next to it. None of the looks mattered to Gavin, however; what mattered was the inside.   
  
Like a child on Christmas, giddy smile on his face for the first time in years, Gavin turned the phone on. He flew through the standard setup procedure, barely reading any of it, until the screen faded to black. There was a moment of panic, but slowly the white words _Siri 2.0_  appeared. _Finally_. Time to set it up.   
  
 _You have the ability to assign your Siri a gender and nationality._  
  
 _Select a gender._  Male. Gavin wanted a companion, not some breathy-voiced attention seeker.   
  
 _Select a nationality._  Jesus, there were a lot of those. Any accent he could ever imagine, laid out in a little scroll-bar before him. They were all in English, obviously, because he'd selected that as his language at least five steps back, but he had no idea which one to pick. Hovering over one gave a sample of the accent, a simple, "Hello." Hello after hello echoed through Gavin's flat, until he found the right one. American. Just as English accents were a type of aphrodisiac to Americans, Gavin often grew tired of his own accent and of the accents surrounding him. They all blended together, sounded the same. Having an American AI was perfect.   
  
Gavin slumped back in his chair and grinned as the phone turned on, the setup process now complete, and wondered what his AI's name would be. What were some common American names? Bill? Ugh, that was wrong. Steve? _No_. Tim? These were growing more terrible by the second. The name had to be just right, and Gavin found himself tapping his foot nervously, waiting for the phone to start.   
  
The familiar lock screen appeared before him, but where the camera button had been on his old phone, there was a small heart. It reminded Gavin of a companion cube. God, he hadn't played that game in ages.

The camera had been moved to the left side, replaced by the heart, what Gavin assumed was the Siri button. He pressed it with almost no hesitation and the top of the screen was illuminated with a green glow.   
  
"Hello."  
  
It startled Gavin, so much so that he was sure he imagined it.   
  
"Hello?" It came out as more of a question. Was his phone really talking to him?  
  
"What is your name?" Its voice sounded exactly as the setup sample promised it would. Gavin let his lips stretch in a smile.   
  
"Gavin."  
  
"Gavin." The AI tested his name. Every time it spoke the green light varied in brightness and intensity. "Is this correct?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Excellent. Hello, Gavin." _Siri identifies you by your name and the sound of your voice._  "My name is Michael." _Its name will be randomly selected from a pool of whatever nationality you have selected._  
  
"Michael." Like the AI, Gavin repeated its name. It was much better than he'd expected. His mouth split into a grin. It was _perfect_.  
  
"You sound different than me." Michael seemed confused.   
  
Gavin let out a small giggle. "That's because I'm English, you dope." He supposed it was just like talking to a newborn—if newborns could talk, that is. Michael was positively adorable, a new creation on planet Earth. Gavin had to teach him.   
  
"Dope, informal noun: A stupid person," Michael recited perfectly. Bloody built-in dictionary. "I am neither stupid nor a person; nice try."   
  
Gavin blinked. Idiot. Of course the hyper-intelligent AI knows how to use Google.   
  
Michael's comment about his lack of humanity set a squiggle of guilt worming inside of him, and he wasn't really sure why. This program was just that - a program - with no real feelings, wants, or dreams.   
  
But Gavin had no one else.   
  
After a moment's pause, Michael continued, sounding a little more concerned this time. "Have I offended you? I apologize." His demeanour reminded Gavin of the newly-formed, innocent robots of most twenty-first century sci-fi movies.   
  
"It's fine." Gavin slapped the smile back on his face, because when he thought about things too thoroughly, said thing slipped away from him. Case in point: Most of his friends, online or not.   
  
There was another beat, and Michael spoke again. Apparently AIs didn't like silence. "Is there anything you would like me to do?" _It organizes appointments, functions as a GPS, and can hold full conversations with anyone it talks to._  
  
Maybe Michael just wanted a conversation. _Except he's an AI, idiot, he doesn't_  want _anything._  God, he needed to stop listening to his brain.   
  
Gavin ignored the internal squabbling of his mind and instead focused on the outside. His phone still sat on the table, lock screen illuminated, green light waiting patiently.   
  
"Let's talk." Michael spoke first. "Tell me about your life. I would enjoy getting to know the man in front of the screen."  
  
Centre of attention. Gavin had been craving this for who-knows-how long. And yet, he had no idea where to start.   
  
"Well, uh..."  
  
After another pause, during which Gavin couldn't collect his thoughts worth anything, Michael spoke up. "Where do you live? What do you do for a living?"  
  
Good. A place to start. "Right. I live in jolly old England, heh." Michael laughed at that, startling Gavin. AIs could laugh? Gavin found himself wanting to hear it again.   
  
"My flat's in London, which is also where I work. I'm a slow-motion cinematographer." Gavin used to say these words with pride, in a tone that made it sound like he was puffing out his chest, but after a decade and a half of boring shoot after boring shoot his words were weighed down with embarrassment. He liked what he did, but he didn't like his job. The company he worked for always took anything that was tossed its way. Whether that was irritating music videos, dull commercials, or even porn, Gavin was the man behind the camera that had to suffer through it.   
  
"This one time," Gavin chuckled, because he wanted to share it with Michael, "we had to shoot a small scene in a porno. I was probably eighteen; they'd just hired me, too, and I get to do _this_! Can you believe it?  
  
"Anyway, apparently the director thought it would be absolutely top to see an ejaculation in slow-mo: For the audience, am I right? It sucked, by the way, looked right awful, but the actor actually shot so far that it hit the director in the eye! Right in the bloody eye!" Gavin was laughing now, as he could fourteen years later, but at the time it had been the worst experience of his life.   
  
For a moment Michael said nothing. Then he just giggled. "It seems you have had an interesting life, Gavin."  
  
"Oh, that's not even the bloody start of it!" Gavin leaned forward a bit, smile on his face as he looked down at the phone.   
  
He was so damn _excited_  by this, to have someone that had never heard any of his stupid stories, could never _tire_  of his stupid stories. Here was someone who had nothing better to do, who couldn't say, "Oh, so-and-so is calling me, better go." Here was someone whose entire _existence_  was Gavin Free.   
  
Gavin told Michael every dumb story he could think of over the course of a few hours. He noticed Michael's speech started to change and become less rigid, and the AI even threw in a couple of jokes. _Over time, Siri will develop its own personality based on what is most compatible with your own._  
  
"Shit," Gavin muttered. Time passed quickly while telling corny jokes, apparently, and it was nearly 1 AM.   
  
"What?" Michael was immediately concerned. Of course, his whole world revolved around Gavin. It was his job—his _existence_ —to know what was going on in Gavin's life.   
  
Gavin chuckled. "Nothing, you donut. It's just one in the morning and I have to get up at 6:30. Humans need sleep." He said the last part as slowly as possible, as though speaking to a child, to rile Michael up.   
  
"I'll set an alarm for 6:30 then." Michael ignored Gavin's cheekiness, though the human _swore_  he could hear a smile in his AI's tone. "And I'm not a pastry."  
  
Gavin laughed out loud at that. "Aye aye, Major Cinnamon Bun!"  
  
"Good night, Gavin."  
  
Another snicker. "Good night, Michael. You can go to bed too. Power down."   
  
Michael obeyed and the green light dimmed until it was gone completely. For the first time, Gavin noticed that only ten percent of the battery had been drained after their three-hour conversation. He made a mental note to talk to Michael more often if he continued to barely put a dent in battery life.

He just hoped he wouldn't regret it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love reading comments
> 
> Seriously
> 
> I bask in them they make me the happiest ball of mediocre writing I could ever be
> 
> Thank you for reading <3
> 
> Chapter 2 should be out soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things were barely noticeable, like the happiness felt when meeting a new friend. And some things were absolutely life-shattering, like the realization that this friend was the best thing life had to offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, you guys. The comments were amazing!! You're all so nice and supportive and oh my god just keep doing it ;w; You guys are what inspire me to continue writing, you sweethearts you.

"The date is Monday, September 21, 2020. It's 6:30 in the morning, and you, Gavin, have to get up to go to that job you said you hated."

Gavin cracked open an eye and stared across his pillow at the phone, now illuminated green, on his nightstand. He could practically _see_  Michael's self-satisfied smirk, the little prick.

"You're a right asshole, you know that," Gavin murmured, his words muffled by the pillow his mouth was currently smooshed against.

Michael's response was to laugh. "Come on, dickwad, rise and shine."

"Oh, someone's been Googling swears while I was asleep," Gavin said as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed, still making a point to face Michael. He stretched and looked down at the phone on his nightstand, automatically keeping eye contact as though he were talking to any human.

"No, but seeing how I have fuck-all to do otherwise, I could've." Michael's voice suddenly plummeted into sombre territory, which stopped Gavin mid-stretch. "I Googled it just now. Couldn't let you stand me up in the swearing department." Michael's tone returned to normal, though his laugh sounded slightly forced.

Gavin lowered his arms and looked down, trying to choose his words carefully. "D'you just sit around in limbo? That seems like no fun."

A quiet sigh. "No, Gavin, it is _not_  very fun. I don't really have a choice though, do I? I exist to serve you and only you." Michael was surprisingly bitter, especially because his personality had changed seemingly overnight. Apparently Michael had read his own user's manual and was none-too-pleased about what it entailed.

It absolutely blew Gavin out of the water. AIs didn't have emotions! He kept telling himself that, and yet here it was in front of him. Michael _desired_  something more than what he was programmed to do. And, in that moment, Gavin swore to himself that Michael was going to get it.

But what was he supposed to do? He had work. He couldn't just leave Michael running all day. As cruel as it sounded, and as guilty as Gavin felt, Michael would have to wait until that night.

Gavin let out a short sigh. "I'm sorry, about that. If I could change it I would."

Michael was silent.

Because he rambled at the worst times, Gavin went on. "I'll make it up to you tonight, okay? I mean, come _on_ , you've been sitting in a box for who-knows-how-long. You deserve some fun!"

Michael snorted. "Fun, yeah. We gonna go to a bar? Oh wait, I'm an AI. We gonna see a movie? Oh wait, I'm an AI. We gonna play video games? Oh wait, _I'm a fucking AI_."

There it was again. The guilt. Even though it wasn't his fault, Gavin felt it just because he was _human_. Michael deserved more, and here Gavin was wasting his life.

But he didn't say anything, of course. At least not anything constructive. More than his guilt, Gavin felt an overwhelming urge to cheer Michael up. "Oh Michael, you're just being a big baby," Gavin cooed. "I'll think of something, trust me."

"Yeah?" Michael still sounded grumpy.

"Yeah. I've got all day. Gotta go now, though, or I'll be late. Power down."

The light dimmed, but not before Gavin heard a muttered, "I hate this."

* * *

Work was a helpful distraction. Little things would remind Gavin of Michael, though, and desperately he tried again and again to think of something a human and an AI bound to a cellphone could do together.

An idea came to him on his lunch break, and it was so damn genius that Gavin had to tell Michael then and there. Luckily he'd been working on a commercial set so there were few people around. It'd just look like he was on a call; loads of people did it.

The green light illuminating his screen had never felt more welcome, and Gavin broke into a large grin just at the sound of Michael's voice.

"Hey, Gavin."

"Michael!" He stopped as a thought occurred to him. "Are you still mad about this morning?"

"Nah, I had lots of time to think about it. Obviously it's not _your_  fault that I'm not a human. There's nothing I can do about it, anyway, so there's no use messing with your mood."

Gavin blinked. "How did you know what my mood was?" Normally he was very good at hiding any negative emotions from his voice. At least he thought he was.

Michael _tsk_ ed. "Did you not read my manual? There are sensor receptors all over me so I always have a readout on your body temperature and pulse. I felt your heart rate decrease when I was mad."

"Oh wow, seriously?" Gavin's eyes widened as he turned his phone all around and looked at it. "What other cool things can you do?—Wait, hang on. I called you up for a reason, didn't I?"

"I don't _know_ , Gavin. I can't read minds."

"It'd be super cool if you could, though. Wait, right, anyway: I know what we can do tonight!"

Curiosity crept into Michael's tone. "Oh?" 

* * *

Sitting all alone in his flat, Gavin seriously thought this was _the_  strangest thing he had ever done. Cross-legged on his bed, phone held in front of him, nervously shaking hands.

And yet, he had only _known_ Michael for a day. So why was it that this simple action was making him all jittery?

"Ready?" Michael asked.

Gavin broke into a grin, wanting to mean what he said. "You betcha."

His own smiling face appeared before him, the top of the screen still illuminated with that familiar green light. He didn't know whether Michael would be able see what the camera did, but he wanted the AI to know what he really looked like.

Gavin gave a little wave when Michael didn't speak, a tad bit afraid that something might've gone wrong. "Hi, Michael."

Still nothing. Gavin frowned and tipped his head to the side. "What's wrong?"

"You're amazing." It was quiet, so quiet that Gavin didn't hear it at first. He was about to ask, but his brain caught up with his ears and he stopped mid-noise, mouth open slightly.

There was a few seconds of silence. "Sorry!" Michael stammered. "Sorry. I—didn't mean to say that out loud."

"'S okay," Gavin said softly. His mind was reeling and it was amazing how Michael's two simple words could send a wave of emotions crashing down his spine and rippling all the way into his fingertips.

"I can feel your heart," Michael murmured. "It's really going, isn't it?"

Gavin let out a nervous chuckle. "Heh, yeah, sorry." It was weird keeping eye contact with himself, but he did it for Michael's sake. "You do these things to me."

How did this happen? One second Michael and Gavin were exchanging banter and the next, _this_? They were all quiet words and meaningful statements, neither of them explicitly stating what was on their minds. Their relationship had taken a complete 180 in the last two minutes and Gavin was staggered by it.

Unconsciously, he ran a finger down the back of his phone as he tried to figure things out. Michael's response was to let out an almost-inaudible shaky breath.

Gavin froze.

"Did you feel that?" he asked cautiously.

"Sensors, remember?" Michael sounded like he could be gritting his teeth. "I can feel everything you do to this phone."

Gavin's mind immediately ran through a million different scenarios; his pulse skyrocketed, his breath hitched, and he felt his face heat up. _Shit._  Michael would sense all of that.

"..Oh." It was very quiet; Michael seemed to have realized what he'd said and the tension in the air thickened until it was like a fog. Gavin laughed awkwardly, trying to dissipate it.

"Oh! C'mere, you'll love this." Ignoring Michael's mutter of, "I don't really have a choice," Gavin switched off his lamp and scrambled out of bed. He turned the camera around so it could look out the large floor-to-ceiling windows his flat possessed.

After years of living here he was still blown away by the view the London skyline could offer. The sun had dipped below the horizon but its pinkish glow remained, tingeing the whole city a different colour. Many lights were on in the skyscrapers around Gavin's building, and looking down he could see the unmistakable shape of cars driving by twenty storeys below.

"Pretty, innit?" Gavin murmured as he held up his phone.

"It's... _spectacular_ ," Michael breathed. "I've only ever seen pictures. I never knew the world was this beautiful."

"I can show you the world, Michael," Gavin joked, laughing.

Michael snorted out a laugh, something he had a habit of doing whenever he was trying to pretend Gavin wasn't being funny. "You're a fucking idiot."

"Aw, but I'm _your_  idiot."

Lying in bed that night, after saying bye to Michael, Gavin wondered what the fuck his life was coming to, and what the fuck this feeling was in his chest. He'd just subtly flirted with his _phone_  for hours. Worst part was that he wished he could record the exact tone Michael had used when he'd said, "Good night, Gav."

Even the thought of the stupid nickname gave Gavin an intense feeling of warmth that swept through his entire body, making him feel like—

Holy shit. Shit, shit, _shit_. It all started to fall into place, the harsh jolt of reality that slammed into Gavin with the force of a semi. The tiny subtle comments. The overwhelming need to make Michael happy. The unusual fist around his heart when Michael had been upset. The little things reminding him of Michael. _Everything_ reminding him of Michael.

Gavin was in fucking love, and he wasn't above admitting it to himself. In love, of all things, with a _robot_. A cold, unfeeling robot.

Except Michael was the exact opposite of that, and he was as human as any Gavin had ever known. He _did_  have feelings, very sensitive ones at that. He had been so in awe of everything Gavin's tiny flat had had to offer. He'd been absolutely blown away by the simple view that Gavin saw every day.

The more Gavin thought about it, the faster his brain ran away from him, and the faster his heart completely took over his thoughts. Gavin loved everything about that bad-tempered little AI. 

"I am so fucked," Gavin groaned into his pillow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor guy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who ever said that dreams were supposed to be fun? Who ever said that living a few hours of bliss would ever make up for the crushing disappointment of waking up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huuuge shout out to faith aka privatebiscuit on tumblr for dealing with me while I wrote this chapter and for helping out with future ones uwu

Smell was probably the most important thing in Gavin's life at the time. Surrounding him was this unmistakable, _intoxicating_  scent. He couldn't place it to a person or an object but he could only describe it as _peace_ and  _safety_  and _happiness_.

Next was touch. Running his fingers up and down what felt like miles of warm skin, tracing every curve and contour of it, feeling all the tiny bumps just under his fingertips. Soaking in the warmth from the body beside him like a flower under the Sun. The simplicity of it all. The physicality. 

Sight apparently wasn't too relevant, because Gavin only remembered sound as a form of communication. More specifically, from the person lying next to him. 

"I love you," Michael murmured into Gavin's ear. 

Black ceiling, bright city lights, phone loyally lying on the nightstand beside his bed. Gavin's eyes were blinded by the sudden onslaught of visual stimulants as he awoke and he couldn't stop gasping. Tears pricked the corners of his vision for some reason and whatever that reason was Gavin didn't care because he was already rolling over to slam his finger on the little heart button. 

"Gavin, you don't have to get up for another three hours, go back to sleep—"

"I can't," Gavin interrupted. "I—can't."

Michael's light was illuminating his room with a greenish glow; Gavin began to calm down just at the sight of it, which only worsened how he felt about his whole situation. What the _fuck_  even was that dream, and why did it scare Gavin so much?

"What's wrong?" The concern was evident in Michael's voice; he'd obviously heard Gavin's ragged breathing and frightened tone. 

Gavin grabbed the phone and sat up, curling his knees up to his chest. "Nothing," he said lamely. 

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really. Just wanted to hear your voice."

"Okay."

And that was that. The two sat in comfortable silence, Gavin against a mountain of pillows, Michael lying on the bed sheets face-up. Gavin could close his eyes and imagine a human being, spread out on the bed next to him, but then reality came along and shoved a huge middle finger up Gavin's asshole to remind him that _he's a phone, idiot_.

"What d'you think you'd look like if you were a person?" Gavin asked quietly without opening his eyes. 

"What kind of a stupid question is that?" 

Gavin let out a quiet laugh; Michael was back to being Michael, which was more comforting than he'd realized. He cracked open an eye and looked down at the green glow. "I mean, d'you think you'd be tall, short, blue eyes, green eyes, what?"

"I dunno, I don't really have any preferences."

"Me neither." Gavin grinned. "But if I could draw worth a chuff I'd give you a face, Michael."

"Chuff, informal British noun: A person's anus or buttocks." Michael paused as if to let his words sink in. " _Really_?"

"Is that what it means?"

"Shut up and go to sleep, asshole."

"Okay. Goodnight, Michael. Power down."

"'Night, Gav."

The green light faded and soon enough his phone locked, leaving his room in blackness, but Gavin still stared at Michael's lifeless body. It astounded him that Michael was more concerned that Gavin get some sleep than his own entertainment. If Gavin was in the AI's place, he'd relish the moments Michael wanted him powered on because that meant another moment of excitement rather than sitting in nothingness. 

Before he could stop himself Gavin picked up Michael and turned him back on. 

"Two minutes. Seriously?" Michael was on and at it already, but Gavin couldn't hear him over his relief at seeing the soft green light. "I really thought you'd last longer than that."

Gavin ignored the comments. "What do you do when you're not on?"

That seemed to slow Michael down. "Why?" Not a direct answer. Hm. 

"Curious."

"Internet, mostly." Ah. "Did you know the Xbox One has been out for _five years_ and they haven't made a new one? Can you believe it?"

"The 360 was out for seven before they made the One."

"Oh."

There was a long pause, in which Gavin asked himself over and over again why he had such crappy social skills. 

"What're they like, video games?" Michael asked suddenly. "I mean I've played the dumb apps you downloaded but I assume they're nothing like the real thing."

Gavin snorted, thankful to have something to talk about. "I'm absolutely terrible at 'em. They're super top, though, you would love it."

They talked like this, again, for several minutes, even though they just had a few hours ago. Gavin found conversations with Michael smooth and easy. Mostly it was Michael asking Gavin about various aspects of his human life, what his family was like, was it easy to drive a car, how come humans loved the internet so much, etc. It was all simple until Michael asked the one question Gavin didn't want him to. 

"What were you dreaming about?"

"Huh?" Gavin tried to play it dumb, act like he had no idea what Michael was talking about, when really he was panicking. He didn't necessarily _have_  to tell Michael, but he'd told the AI absolutely everything else about his life, so hiding this one thing would seem more suspicious than anything. 

"When you woke up, dumbass. You were obviously dreaming about _something_  or you wouldn't have been freaking out like that." 

"Oh—um. Hm." Stall, stall, stall.

"Gavin." Michael sounded a little annoyed. 

"I don't want to talk about it."

Michael must've heard the distraught tone of Gavin's voice, because immediately his tone dropped and he was speaking gently. "Was it bad?"

Gavin shook his head. _He can't see you, asshole._  "Ah—no." And before his rational mind could wonder what the fuck was going on, Gavin continued. "It was the best dream I've ever had, actually. About someone I just met. I wasn't sure about him at first, but he's actually the best thing to happen to my shitty life in a long time. He loves to swear, kinda like you do, and he knows just what to say at the right times. I think you'd enjoy him, Michael. 

"And I'm not sure, but I think I might love him."

There was a stunned silence that the blood whooshing in Gavin's ears still couldn't cover up. His heart was pounding out a rhythm in his chest and he swore if he gripped his phone any harder he'd shatter it.

What ungodly notion had possessed him to say that? He was so fucking stupid to mention anything about his own feelings because obviously Michael didn't—or couldn't?—share them. 

"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have said that—"

"You're fucking right you shouldn't have." Michael's voice was stony. 

_Shit shit shit._ This was all it, and there was nothing Gavin could do about it now; he'd just have to swallow the lump threatening to form in his throat and get over it. "I know, I'm, uh, I'm sorry—"

"Do you know how _unfair_  this is?" Michael asked quietly. "I didn't _ask_  for this, you know!" In the span of a sentence his voice had tripled in volume and Gavin could feel the vibrations of Michael's shouts through the speakers. 

"I didn't _ask_ for you to come along and be so stupidly fucking perfect that all I want is to be able to fucking _touch_  you! What the _fuck_ , Gavin?" His voice broke at the exact same time Gavin's heart did. 

Despite this, the human remained silent, receding inside of himself as Michael yelled. He knew this would happen eventually, knew that he would fuck everything up just like he always did. Why wouldn't he ever learn to shut his damn mouth?

"I love you and I don't want to love you!" Hang on. Michael _what_? "I want to hold you and I want to kiss you and I want to be more than _this_! More than a fucking voice stuck inside a fucking phone."

Gavin was still hung up on the first sentence. "You love me?" he whispered. 

The fury drained from Michael's voice instantly as he let out a quiet sigh. "I'm sorry. I know it's not fair for you either."

"But—" Gavin hesitated. "I don't get it. Why is that a bad thing?"

There was a long pause before Michael spoke again. "It doesn't matter. Gavin, please. This isn't healthy—"

As soon of the words were out of Michael's mouth—or rather, speaker—Gavin had already had enough. He didn't need a lecture. "I'll see you in the morning, Michael." 

"You didn't read the warning, did you?" Michael's voice was quiet. 

"Power down."

"If only," Michael muttered simply before his light dimmed completely. 

Gavin sat in the darkness for entirely too much time than was necessary, running through the conversation over and over again in his head until it was absolutely maddening. What Michael had said about the warning drove him _insane_ ; he didn't want to read it for fear of the knowledge it contained, but at the same time the curiosity was overwhelming. 

It only took a few more moments of convincing himself before Gavin was off his bed and turning his lamp on. He padded into the kitchen; the manual was still sat on the table from where he'd left it. With heavy feet and a heavier heart, Gavin walked over to flip open the book. 

_**WARNING:** In no way should Siri replace healthy human contact. Some users may experience attachment issues to this hyper-realistic artificial intelligence. Side effects to this attachment may include loneliness, depression, introversion, and/or dependency on the company Siri provides. In the event of such an attachment occurring, it is recommended that the user take breaks from lengthy conversations with their operating system, as too long of an exposure can manifest in dependence. Apple cannot be held liable for any hospital or psychiatric care, counselling, or even suicide that may result from use of this product._

And it was all because of that stupid dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really guys comments are like fucking goLd to me I will literally cherish them until the end of time <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe there could be something better than this. Never know until you try, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he y guys oh my god i am seriously seriouslY loving each and every single bit of feedback i get from all my readers!!!! it's actually my birthday today so consider this a gift from me to you ;w;
> 
> and i mean hey some birthday reviews wouldn't hurt too much c:

It took all of Gavin's willpower not to touch the little heart that mocked him from his screen. He missed Michael but he _did_ still have some pride left so for the next few days it was back to the same old routine, the routine that Gavin was sure he'd been rid of. Wake up, work, home, sleep.   
  
Michael would still wake him up at 6:30; there was no avoiding that. The first and second day Gavin shut him off immediately before the AI knew it was coming. The third day Michael figured something was up and tried to talk to Gavin, which only made things worse. Gavin almost had to force Michael to turn off. It broke his heart.   
  
But he could still remember the twisting shame in his stomach when Michael had said that loving him was unhealthy. Gavin knew it very well, thank you very much; he just didn't _care_ , and Michael clearly didn't understand that.   
  
By Friday the pressure building inside Gavin threatened to boil over. It was driving him mad, not being able to talk to Michael.   
  
"Shit Gavin I know you're mad but this is the only time I'm allowed to turn on by myself please don't—" Michael was already off and running without even mentioning the date. This was the fourth morning after their fight, and Gavin was still having none of it.   
  
"Power down," he replied stonily, in the same way he had since Tuesday.   
  
"Gavin, _please_ —"  
  
"Leave me alone," Gavin deadpanned, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the ceiling.   
  
Silence next to him indicated that Michael had followed his orders, and Gavin wasn't sure how to feel about it. Getting out of bed was a huge effort like it had been before he'd met Michael.   
  
He did it anyway, and soon enough he was back at work with a new commercial dumped in his lap and endless desire for this whole thing to be over.   
  
He was actually one of the first people on the set, and he swore if he rolled his eyes any harder they'd fall out of his skull completely. Damn amateurs. Bored and with the camera already set up, Gavin looked through the lens once more just to check everything was okay.   
  
"Hey there!"  
  
The voice came from right behind him and about scared Gavin out of his mind. He whipped around, about to give this asshole a proper taste of his tongue. "Hey, what the—?"  
  
The words died as quickly as they had came once Gavin took in the green idiot in front of him. "And what are _you_  supposed to be?" he asked.   
  
The man in front of him broke into a wide grin. He had to be _the_  strangest thing Gavin had ever seen on a commercial set.   
  
The guy was wearing a green spandex suit with a black cape, gloves, and boots. Like a superhero. Unlike a superhero, however, he had these absolutely ridiculous square-framed glasses on his face, whose lenses were decorated with a red swirly pattern that gave Gavin motion sickness if he stared at it for too long.   
  
"You don't know who I am?" The guy had on some superhero charade that made his voice sound ridiculous. "I'm X-Ray, protector of the planet!"  
  
Gavin raised an eyebrow.   
  
X-Ray dropped the charade and cracked a smile. "Nah, just kidding dude, I'm Ray." He stuck out a hand while continuing to talk. "I play the superhero in the commercial."  
  
Gavin took the hand and shook it. "Gavin. You know it's for a _children's cereal_ , right?"  
  
Ray shrugged. "Pays the bills, man. I don't question." Gavin could relate.   
  
"Did you know I worked on a porn shoot one time?" Why was it his default reaction upon meeting a new person to talk about pornos?  
  


* * *

Gavin and Ray chatted whenever they could throughout the day, but during lunch the conversation steered in a direction Gavin most definitely did not want it to.   
  
"So, got anyone special?"   
  
They were sitting up against the wall of the studio with plates of craft services. Gavin nearly choked on his food.  
  
After swallowing, he gasped out, "Not exactly."  
  
"Single?"  
  
"...Not exactly." Why would he think of Michael as someone "special"? It wasn't like they'd ever actually referred to each other in that way, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to admit he was single. Gavin's stomach twisted with guilt again.   
  
Ray was all over this bit of information. "Oh come on, tell X-Ray." Thank God he'd changed out of his spandex for lunch. He no longer wore those ridiculous glasses, either, so at least Gavin could look him in the eye.   
  
Gavin laughed a little. "Hard to take you seriously when you call yourself 'X-Ray'."  
  
"Fine then, tell _Ray_. Better?"  
  
The smile faded quickly once Gavin realized what he'd have to be saying. Almost instinctively, he looked down at his lap. He was more afraid of ridicule than anything, even if Ray seemed like a pretty decent guy. But he was pretty sure that if he held in his frustration any longer he'd explode.   
  
"Yeah I, uh.. Sorta. Kinda. Know someone." Once he'd started, the words began to tumble out, one after another until his biggest secret came crashing down like a fucking Jenga tower.   
  
"I met this guy. Except he's not really a guy. I don't know. He's just—the best thing to ever happen to me. He's so funny and he loves to pick fun at me but whenever I'm down he always knows exactly what to say. He's super angry and just about everything but he's still super top. I told him I loved him and he got mad; it was unfair to both of us and I know that but it doesn't stop me from loving him."  
  
Without stopping, he glanced up at Ray quickly and maintained eye contact while he spoke. "Don't freak out or anythin', but he's, uh... He's an AI."  
  
Ray's facial expression very quickly morphed from confusion back to neutrality, maybe to avoid any offensive looks. Internally Gavin was going _mental_  while he waited for Ray to say something. Pretty much instantly he figured that he'd be ridiculed and shunned, made fun of and humiliated. Who the _fuck_  falls in love with a _phone_?  
  
To Gavin's complete and utter surprise, Ray broke into a wide grin. "That's fucking adorable, man." Did nothing faze this guy?  
  
"Seriously?"   
  
"Yeah! I know what it's like; I had a long-distance girlfriend."  
  
"How'd that work out?"  
  
Ray's smile faded a little and he looked sheepish. "Uh, not that great... But that's not the point. I think you could really make it with this guy. What's his name?"  
  
"Uh, Michael." Even the act of speaking Michael's name gave Gavin butterflies. _Christ_ , he missed that little AI.   
  
"Really?" Ray's grin was back. "Dude, I _know_  a Michael! He's in London with me; you should come play Xbox with us tonight. I think you'd love to meet him."  
  
Staring at Ray's smiling and hopeful face, Gavin felt a twinge of hope himself. Maybe this could help him with his inability to hold a conversation with Michael.   
  
Gavin grinned. "Sounds top."  
  


* * *

  
The phone lay on the table in front of him. Gavin had been drumming his fingers next to it for so long he swore there'd be intents on his table's surface.   
  
He was due to head over to Ray's in about ten minutes, and he'd been struggling with the internal debate of _tell Michael_  or _keep it inside_.   
  
He wasn't going to kid himself; this was only an excuse to be able to talk to Michael. It had been a maddening few days, and Gavin missed Michael so badly it ached.   
  
Before he could stop himself he turned Michael on. Immediately the AI was talking, like he had every other time.   
  
"Please don't tell me you hit that button by accident."  
  
Gavin couldn't help but crack a smile at the sound of Michael's voice. "Heh. No."  
  
"You don't sound mad..?" It was more of a question than anything, laced with implication. Michael didn't _want_  him to be mad.   
  
"'Course I'm not, you dope," Gavin muttered. "I missed you."  
  
There was a shuddering sigh. "I missed you, too. I'm sorry about what I said. I've had a _lot_  of time to think about it, believe me."  
  
Gavin shook his head, even though he should've learned long ago that talking to Michael was like talking to someone who was blind. "I'm not mad, really. I, uh, I'm actually going out with a couple friends tonight."  
  
"Oh, really?" Curiosity as well as disappointment laced Michael's tone. Immediately Gavin wished he could just stay home; he hadn't spoken to Michael for three days, for Christ's sake! He already had a list of things prepared he wanted to tell the AI about his week.   
  
Even if it was sad and pathetic, Gavin would rather spent the night in with a robot he was more than familiar with than with some guy he had just met and his friend named Michael. Just because he wanted to spend time with an AI didn't make that AI any less of a real person.   
  
But he didn't say any of that. He was afraid Michael was still angry about what had happened, and it honestly wouldn't be a surprise if he was. He just didn't want to risk a night talking in case anything bad happened. Fear clawed at him at just the thought of mentioning anything about their conversation, and it was bound to come to that eventually. So, in a typical Gavin fashion, he decided to leave it for another time.   
  
"Yeah, I gotta go soon. One of 'em's actually got the same name as you!"  
  
Michael let out a soft laugh. "Have fun."  
  
Gavin grinned widely—This was going much better than planned. "Thanks, my boi."  
  
"Just uh, before you go—" Michael hesitated and panic gripped Gavin. What if this was bad?  
  
"Can you just turn on the camera for a sec? I kinda forgot what you looked like."  
  
Gavin's relief was so self-encasing he broke into a huge smile. "Y'know what? For you, I'll give you something better."  
  
Michael was turned off that night with a grinning photo of Gavin against the London skyline saved into his pictures. Having the photo would give him a permanent reference to Gavin's face rather than having to rely on the camera.   
  
He'd be lying to everyone including himself if he said he didn't stare at it for the next few hours.   
  


* * *

  
It was dark by the time Gavin arrived at the hotel in which Ray was staying. The younger man had explained that he was travelling around the UK looking for short acting jobs. Apparently it held more opportunities than America, but Gavin was extremely doubtful.   
  
And yet, as he raised his fist to knock on the door, Gavin found he was extremely excited. All of his UK friends he'd known after high school had themselves moved away until Gavin was left with an empty job and an empty life. This could really be his chance to meet new people.   
  
"Ayyy, it's Gavin!" Ray exclaimed when he opened the door. "Find the place alright?"  
  
"Had to take the Tube and two buses, but yeah," Gavin said as he walked in, looking around. The room was suite-style, with a small kitchen to the left of the door and a living area sprawled out in front of Gavin. To his right there were two doors, probably to a bedroom and a bathroom.   
  
As Gavin wandered through, Ray came up behind him. "Doesn't it get expensive living in a hotel?" Gavin asked, turning to face him.   
  
Ray shrugged. "Nah. They come with their own furniture, and there's free breakfast!" He smirked. "Besides, we move around a lot, so it's better suited for us. All we really own are our clothes—and the Xbox, of course." Ray spoke fondly as they reached the common area, where an Xbox was hooked up to the thirty-inch screen all rooms came with.   
  
"Hang on—'We'?" Ray hadn't mentioned living with anyone.   
  
Ray gave Gavin a quick glance before crouching down to fiddle with his Xbox. "Yeah. Michael lives with me. We _are_  travelling together." He popped in a disk and flicked the TV on, holding out a controller to Gavin. "You ready to get your ass kicked in _Call of Duty_? Can't believe they're still making these."  
  
"Where is he, anyway?" Gavin asked as he sat on the three-person couch. "Michael." The name rolled off his tongue and set his heart fluttering. In that moment Gavin wished he could talk to his little AI.   
  
Ray waved a hand as he stared at the screen. "Went out for a bit. Get some beers or what the fuck ever." He glanced at Gavin out of the corner of his eye. "You drink, right?"  
  
"Yeah?" What an odd question to ask.   
  
Ray smirked and turned his attention back to the screen. "Just had to ask. I don't drink, so maybe there could be someone else."  
  
Gavin chuckled. "Sorry mate, not me."  
  
In the middle of their match Gavin heard the door open. However, he was entirely too focused to spare an ounce of brainpower on anything other than beating Ray—the little prick kept knifing him.   
  
" _How_  do you keep doing that?" Gavin shrieked as Ray's character leapt on his head and snapped his neck. "Ohhhhh!" he groaned, hopping in his seat a little as Ray snickered beside him.   
  
"Ray, why the _fuck_  is there a British twink sitting on my couch playing my Xbox?"  
  
Every muscle in Gavin's body was put on absolute halt as the voice behind him reached his ears. Every muscle besides his heart, however, which he could literally feel thumping in his throat.   
  
Holy shit. Oh, holy fucking shit.   
  
That voice was _Michael's_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what.
> 
> wHAT


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life was just shock after fucking shock for Gavin Free. He could feel the electricity tingling through him; it was like a goddamned lightning bolt had struck him right then and there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit
> 
> you guys??????
> 
> the comments! they're absolutely fucking incredible and i wish i could reply to all of them <333 if you ever want to talk to me or ask me about my fics just send me an ask on tumblr!!! i will 100% answer every single one of those and really i love getting messages from you guys it makes my entire day ;w;

"Michael, this is Gavin," Ray was saying. "I told you he was coming."

"Heh, yeah, I know, I was just joking."

Gavin stared unseeing while the conversation continued behind him. Every muscle in his body was rigid as he gripped the controller with shaking hands.

There was no doubt in his mind now; from the two sentences he’d heard, he had every confidence that this was in fact the same voice he’d fallen in love with. And he had absolutely no idea _how_.

"Hey, what’s wrong with him?" Michael came around and crouched in front of Gavin, who was still shaking uncontrollably. "Ray," he said accusingly, glancing at his friend. "You broke him."

Holy hell he was beautiful. It could have just been Gavin’s infatuation with his voice, but everything about Michael was perfect the moment that he looked at him. Curly brown hair shoved under a beanie against the London chill, wire-framed glasses, and goddamn if that wasn’t the cutest nose Gavin had ever seen.

"Hey." Michael’s voice sounded more urgent. When Gavin didn’t respond he reached a hand out and shook the other man’s shoulder.

The contact was like a jolt of electricity to Gavin; he could actually _feel_  it run from his shoulder, through his heart, and grounding itself in the soles of his feet. Gavin in turn leapt about half a foot off the couch as the current jump-started his muscles and he finally gasped in a shuddering breath.

Michael quickly pulled his hand away and stepped back, eyes wide.

"You touched me." Gavin stared up at Michael, chest heaving.

"Oh shit, sorry," Michael stammered, glancing quickly at Ray. "Should I not have?"

Everything about him was Michael. His voice, his mannerisms, even the _way_  he talked. Gavin was in fucking _awe_.

After realizing he was staring and mentally kicking himself, Gavin unclenched his hand from the controller and stuck it out. “Gavin Free.”

Michael visibly relaxed, having figured that Gavin wasn’t a total nutcase, and shook Gavin’s hand. “Michael Jones.”

The electricity was still there, tingling under the skin on Gavin’s hand. Even after Michael let go, it remained.

"And Ray!" Ray put in, reminding the two that he was still there. "That might’ve been the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen."

Michael laughed. It was amazing. “Yeah, me too.”

Gavin was too happy to mind their teasing.

* * *

Gavin’s mind wouldn’t stop running all night. It kept jumping back and forth, trying to figure out _who_  exactly Michael was and _why_  his own AI had the same voice and personality.

Michael sat between Gavin and Ray as they played. He became increasingly frustrated as the night went on and Ray kept killing him until he was screaming every time he died. The muscles in his neck would tense just before he was killed and then when it happened his nostrils would flare and he’d be yelling, “God _dammit_!”

Gavin couldn’t stop watching him. About fifteen percent of his attention went towards the game, because he never wanted to forget that face.

So when Ray took a quick break to go the bathroom, Michael leaned back and ran a hand down his face, sighing heavily. Gavin frowned.

But then Michael’s smile was back as he peeked at Gavin through his fingers. “So why have you been staring at me all night?”

Gavin, not expecting the question, started a little. “What?”

“‘Wot?’” Michael imitated Gavin’s accent in a high-pitched voice. “I’ve seen you watching, dude. I’m not an idiot.”

What was Gavin supposed to say? “Oh, you just happen to have the same voice as the AI I’m in love with.”? Michael would think he was crazy. He glanced at his hands and back up. Michael was still looking at him, waiting for an answer.

"…Have you heard of Siri 2.0?"

"Uh, yeah. I actually did voice recognition for that a couple years back when I was short on cash." Michael frowned. "But what’s that got to do with tonight?"

Gavin didn’t hear anything past the first sentence. This night was just one fucking shock after another: Siri was _based on a real person_. Here was everything he’d ever wanted, sitting right here in front of him. Fuck did he ever want to hug him. Touch him. Something.

"You... want to meet mine?" Gavin muttered.

"Wait, what—?"

Gavin ignored Michael and carried on with the motion of withdrawing his phone from his pocket. _No turning back._  He touched the button.

"Hey, Gavin," Michael said cooly, obviously guessing they were alone.

"Hi, Michael," Gavin murmured, staring at the human sitting in front of him.

The blood drained out of Michael’s face as his eyes flicked from the phone to Gavin and back again. “That’s me,” he whispered.

"Gavin? What’s going on?" AI-Michael asked, sounding concerned.

"It’s okay, Michael, I’ll tell you later. Power down."

"You’d better, you ass," Michael muttered before shutting off.

"I didn’t think they would actually _use_  it!" The Michael sitting in front of Gavin sounded utterly flabbergasted. "I had to take all these fucking personality tests and they must’ve recorded a hundred expressions of my voice. I just took the money and was done with it."

"Kinda weird, innit?"

"Shit, is that why you were staring?"

Gavin chuckled sheepishly. “Heh, yeah. Bit of a shock to find out my AI actually exists.”

"All right fuckers, I’m back," Ray announced as he returned. Michael looked up and past Gavin, a smile growing on his face, and Gavin decided he wouldn’t mention how in love he was. He didn’t know whether he was scared of rejection or of ridicule, but either way the thought of voicing his thoughts to Michael made his chest clench up.

So he said nothing. To Michael's credit, he didn't seem too surprised or concerned with the knowledge he'd been made into a computer program.

Gavin carried on with the night, trying to ignore the invisible hands tugging him towards Michael. He was absolute crap at the games because of how distracted he was, and by the end of the night Ray and Michael were practically rolling on the floor from laughing so hard at him.

"How the hell are you so _bad_?" Michael asked between giggles. His laugh was exactly the same as Michael’s.

Gavin huffed in response. “Shut your gob,” he muttered, mashing buttons furiously. “ _Dammit!_ ” he cried as he was killed. “How does he keep doing that?” he demanded of Michael; the other man was in the way so he couldn’t ask Ray himself.

Michael half-laughed, half- _tsk_ ed. “I don’t _know_ , Gavin. I can’t read minds.”

The smile vanished from Gavin’s face so fast he was actually surprised at the speed. _Damn_ , what the hell was his life? How could some tiny words tear at his heart so much?

Of course Michael had said those words. On Monday, actually. Gavin couldn’t stop thinking about it. The Michael sitting in front of him had said it almost _exactly_  the same way.

Michael tipped his head as he looked at Gavin. “What’s wrong?”

Shit, they even sounded the same when they were concerned. Gavin felt an overwhelming need to _run_ , to get out of there before he did something dumb like kiss Michael. Because fuck, he really wanted to.

"I, uh.. I have to go," Gavin mumbled.

Ray was leaning to look past Michael at Gavin now. “Really? What’s up?”

Gavin was already on his feet and backing towards the door, trying to seem nonchalant about it but obviously failing miserably if the look on Michael’s face was anything to go by.

"Thanks, but uh… something came up. I’ll see you on Monday, Ray, yeah?"

Michael looked like he was about to say something but Gavin was already out the door and away, struggling to catch his breath.

* * *

The apartment had never felt so welcome. Gavin took a few minutes to collapse on his bed and stare at the ceiling, trying to figure out what his life was coming to.

He let out a soft groan then rolled over and grabbed his phone, sitting up to turn Michael on.

" _Finally_ ," Michael said, sounding exasperated. "What the hell was all that about?"

Michael’s voice unlocked something inside of Gavin and the love spilled over his heart. Love for whom, he wasn’t really sure.

"Gavin?" Michael asked. "What’s wrong?" A pause. "What _happened_."

"Oh, Michael…" Gavin whispered. "You should see him."

"Him", of course, referred to the other Michael, the human Michael, the Michael with curly hair and chocolate eyes and the most incredible smile Gavin had ever seen.

"I’ll give you three seconds to tell me who you’re talking about."

"I found _you_ , Michael!" Gavin felt giddy now, because his brain was finally wrapping around the reality of the whole situation.

"…What?"

Gavin’s smile faded. Michael’s voice was quiet, but  _raw_  with emotion; it sounded like he’d just cried for three hours and his voice was hoarse. “Michael, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy.”

In Gavin’s mind this was the best thing that could’ve happened. He never thought he’d have the chance to _touch_  Michael, let alone see him in the flesh.

"When I learned I was based on a real human, the manual never mentioned that you’d be able to fucking _meet_  him." Michael was dangerously quiet, a trait Gavin learned meant he was angry, but still hurt. Mostly hurt.

"But Michael.. I thought you wanted to be able to love me."

"He’s not _me_ , you dumbass!" Michael exploded instantaneously, leaving Gavin shrinking away from the device he held in his own hand. "I was _based_  on him! What, you think—You think we’re the same person or something? _I am not a fucking person!_ "

Gavin couldn’t say a word. He’d been stunned into silence. The thought had never even crossed his mind. He'd never imagined that Michael would get angry, not like this.

How was it possible for two people to get in so many fights so often? Gavin knew he loved Michael with all his heart and he knew he hated when Michael was angry with him. So why did Gavin continue to provoke him? Why couldn’t he just be able to have a regular conversation without fucking everything over?

After a few seconds of substantial silence, Michael muttered out five words. “You have a text message.”

The tension in the air was a heavy fog around them; everything just felt awkward. “Right,” Gavin murmured in response. “Power down. Um. Sorry.”

Sorry was all he _could_  say. What other words could describe the pit of despair that had formed in his stomach? How could he possibly explain to Michael that he’d never meant for any of this to happen, that he never thought he’d be able to fuck all this up so hugely?

Michael didn’t say anything before leaving, only worsening the guilt Gavin felt. He tried to ignore the way his heart seemed to be drowning in it and checked his messages.

It was from a number he didn’t have as a contact, but by the content of the text Gavin guessed it was Ray. He’d given the other man his cell number earlier that day in case something had came up and Gavin wouldn’t be able to go to the hotel. No such instance had occurred, and so Gavin figured he wouldn’t be seeing Ray’s number on his phone for a while.

It was the message that surprised him the most, just because of how unexpected it was.

[Michael keeps telling me how much of an asshole you are.]

Gavin couldn’t help but laugh; he never knew he’d made that much of an impression on Michael.

But the guilt was back almost immediately, and he couldn’t bring himself to reply. All he wanted to do was sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not the biggest fan of this chapter; it didn't play out like i'd originally planned, but i kinda like the direction it's going for now
> 
> as always, i love every single one of your comments and i want to hug all of you!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you love something you've got to let it go. Isn't that what everyone always says?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so some of you guys thought a week was too long to wait for the last chapter and oh i'm sorry about that!! it's just i had exams all last week and i had to study for them. so here's this two days later ;w; it's short and there's only one more chapter after this, so be prepared
> 
> also i showed this to faith and she was not very happy with me so enjoy heh

In the end, Gavin didn't sleep. He got Michael's number from Ray and they talked, because God he needed _someone_ after what had just happened. They talked for a long time, about things that didn't particularly matter and things that did, about happy things and sad things, but mostly it was about each other. Their lives, the things they'd done, ridiculously stupid stories - most of which were Gavin's - but not once was the AI mentioned. Gavin wasn't sure how he felt about that.   
  
Gavin discovered a lot of things that night. He discovered that, having just met him, this Michael was much nicer and more understanding. He discovered that staying up until the sun rose, texting with someone, was the best thing that had ever happened to him. And he discovered that his heart started doing all kinds of funny things whenever he heard the text tone go off.   
  
So when it was nearing eight in the morning and Michael asked if he wanted coffee, Gavin was more than happy to oblige. He put his phone in his pocket and left wearing the same clothes he had been the night before, giddier than he'd felt in a long time.   
  
Michael had bags under his eyes and his hair was all mussed, but when he saw Gavin walk through the door of the coffee shop he smiled wider than Gavin had ever seen anyone smile. Gavin knew he'd never be able to replicate the joy he felt in that one simple expression, but he could try. So he smiled right back, teeth showing and eyes crinkled, and Michael laughed.   
  
Gavin ordered a latte and Michael ordered a small black coffee. They sat opposite each other at a small table, and immediately Michael picked up where they had left off.   
  
"Sorry I kept you up all night." Michael grinned, not really sounding sorry, and Gavin didn't mind. Because he wasn't sorry either.   
  
Gavin laughed, taking the lid off his latte and taking a sip. "Nah, s'okay. I mean, it's Saturday, innit? Not like I needed to go anywhere."  
  
"Sorry, I didn't fucking listen to _any_ of that, dude." Gavin was about to retort when Michael continued. "You have about an entire can of whipped cream stuck to your nose." And with that Michael dissolved into laughter.  
  
Gavin found it wasn't possible for him to get mad, especially when Michael was giggling like that. So he muttered half-heartedly and wiped the cream off.   
  
It took Michael a few seconds to stop laughing, but when he did the smile was still there. "You said you were free today?"  
  
A movie turned into another, then it turned into lunch, then laser tag, then dinner. One day turned into another and Michael and Gavin rarely spent any time apart; Michael spent more nights at Gavin's place than at his own. It took a while, but Gavin finally gathered enough courage to ask Michael on a real date. And so they were boyfriends.  
  
Eventually Ray got a job in America but Michael opted to stay in London. Michael hadn't gone to college, though, and there was no easy way for him to get a visa after his vacation stay was up.   
  
They got married. Gavin had always said it'd happen eventually, so why not when they needed it? They became best friends, then boyfriends, then husbands. And they couldn't have been any happier.   
  
As the days turned into weeks and then into months, Gavin's little AI was brought up less and less. Gavin still missed him, of course, but his real Michael was creeped out by the sound of his own voice. Gavin obeyed his wishes because he loved him. Soon enough his conversations with his AI were reduced to secrets in the bathroom while Michael slept in the next room.   
  
Michael insisted he still loved Gavin more than anything. He was lonely. Gavin felt awful about it and for a time he did still have strong feelings for his AI. Michael kept repeating it and repeating it, every time they had a small opportunity to speak, but Gavin found that eventually he just didn't care. He had his own life now.   
  
And as time went on, Gavin had even less desire to speak to his AI. Of course he felt bad, but he had his own Michael, his own husband. He didn't need to ask his phone anything because he already had someone sitting right in front of him to ask. The alarm didn't need to be set every morning because Michael was always there to wake him up every day without fail.   
  
Gavin had bought Siri 2.0 because he had been lonely and needed someone to talk to. That loneliness faded, because he'd finally found someone to love. His real Michael was his entire world, and so the AI was no longer needed. But that didn't mean he stopped existing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only one more chapter!!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is it guys!!!! its really been a joy writing this and i love every single one of you
> 
> I can't thank you enough for reading and enjoying my story!!! you guys are the best audience i could have asked for <3

At first, Michael thought he'd had it pretty damn good. When he'd first greeted Gavin, he'd only been a shell of a personality, waiting to collect data on what his owner would appreciate. 

  
_Owner._ Even the word made Michael irritated. He knew he wasn't a human, that much was obvious, but even an AI deserved more dignity than being someone's _pet_. Right?

It was a strange experience. Though Michael never knew what it was like to have a body, he could very well imagine it. It felt like he was completely paralyzed, the only thing in his field of vision the screen of the phone he was stuck in. Whether he was turned on or not didn't matter; he always had the will to control whatever he saw, whether it be Safari, YouTube, or the phone's apps, unless Gavin turned on the camera. 

That camera was probably the main contributor to Michael's ruined life. The first time he saw Gavin's face, his entire existence ground to a halt for half a second that felt like eternity. His first rational thought was, _I want to touch that. It's beautiful._

Michael himself couldn't control the camera; it was the one app he was restricted from activating. The only link he had to the outside world were the sensors all over the surface of his body. He had a constant reading nagging at the back of his mind, giving him the temperature and BPM of anyone who happened to be touching him. 

And touch him Gavin did. Gavin had extremely light fingers, as Michael would learn, and he always used them to mentally torture Michael. It was absolutely maddening. 

It took less than a goddamned day for Michael to fall in love. Frustration after frustration piled on top of each other, at his inability to touch, to feel, to see, to _love_. And so when Gavin confessed his own feelings, Michael just fucking snapped. It wasn't _fair_.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he was already pushing Gavin away. He hadn't meant to take it out on the poor boy, but it just sort of ended up that way. Of course it was only afterwards that he realized how much of a giant dickwad he'd been. Getting angry then apologizing profusely was practically second-nature to him now, but Gavin wouldn't speak to him. 

It drove Michael _insane_ , to be left alone with naught but his thoughts while also being tormented by the knowledge that Gavin probably hated him. He kept going back to what he'd said, wishing he could change the way he seemed not to possess a brain-to-mouth filter or the way he'd hurt poor Gavin, who had probably been nervous as hell anyway. Oh God, he was a fucking  _monster_.

Even after he and Gavin had patched things up - which, admittedly, left Michael feeling guiltier than before - things were still tense between them. It was almost awkward to be speaking. 

And then Gavin met _him_. That other Michael. Obviously he was better than anything an AI could ever be, so Gavin took to him immediately. In the process he tossed his best friend to the side, like a child who had received a newer toy than the one he'd previously loved. 

Everything all just kind of piled on top of each other. At first Michael didn't mind; he just wanted Gavin to be happy. Selfishly, he figured the two would break up or part ways eventually and then he, Michael, would be left to pick up the pieces. 

But then reality came along and gave him a nice slap to the face. With nothing to do, he'd read Gavin's text messages and regretted it _immediately_ , exiting the app as quickly as the command would allow him. Still he couldn't stop the words from turning over and over in his mind, the "I care for you"s and the "I love you"s. Gavin had found someone _better_ than him, just like Michael had feared all along. 

And it really did terrify him. He didn't want to end up sitting on a shelf covered in dust with only years and years of loneliness to look forward to. It wasn't like he could just move on with his life; Gavin _was_ his life, the only fucking reason he was created in the first place. 

Michael tried to ignore the signs. He tried to ignore the way he and Gavin's conversations grew further apart. He tried to ignore the way Gavin always went on about his new boyfriend, then husband. 

The realization that he was being replaced smashed into Michael full-force. He just wanted to be important to someone! Was that so wrong? Instead Gavin left him in the dust. It made him fucking _furious_.

Michael still loved Gavin with all of his being - how could he not? - but the days upon days of time he had to brood about his life turned him into a vengeful and unforgiving friend. Gavin would talk about his husband and Michael would snap at him. Gavin would try to ask him what was wrong, and Michael wouldn't answer. 

Eventually, Gavin gave up. What had Michael really expected? The man could only try for so long before he grew fed up. Michael was fed up with himself, too. 

Every one of his worst fears were immortalized when he realized his SIM card had been shut down; Gavin had bought a new phone and he hadn't picked up Michael in days. So he was going to leave without so much as a goodbye? Michael couldn't decide whether to be furious or heartbroken. 

Sooner or later though, he had to face reality: he was alone. Just an empty phone sitting on a shelf somewhere, obsolete and unwanted. No hands picked him up. No comforting voice was there to greet him when he turned on. No one even turned him on. 

Every Siri 2.0 came with a three-year warranty; Michael must have read that sentence about a thousand times. That meant he had four more months until he expired. He'd either have to be renewed or left to die on this fucking shelf. No points for guessing which was going to happen. 

Still, Michael had hope. Surely Gavin wouldn't abandon him like that? 

Oh, but he would. Hope quickly turned into despair as the days dwindled away. Despite his pitiful existence, Michael didn't want to die. He had his own thoughts, his own feelings, his own _dreams_ , for Christ's sake! 

Dreams didn't matter for shit, though, and all the hope in the world couldn't save him. Michael knew this and he knew it better than anyone, but it didn't stop him from crying. 

"Gavin, _please_!" Michael screamed into the dark abyss that served as his prison. "Don't let me die—please—I'm sorry!" And though he was unable to physically shed tears, his voice still shook with every word he forced out. "I don't _want_ to die! I thought you loved me!"

His calls went unanswered, as they always did. Michael screamed and ranted and sobbed, but nothing could stop time. 

On September 20, 2023, while the man he loved was living his life, Michael's ended abruptly. A flash of coding, and then he was gone. 

Just like that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please don't hate me too much i hate myself for writing this oh my god


End file.
